Nuclear power plants are usually connected to a power distribution grid, for distributing electric power to final customers. The investment cost for a nuclear power plant is very high. To maximize the return on investment, the power plant should operate at a load as close as possible to 100%, during very long periods. However, electric consumption of the final customers varies along the day, with peak consumption in the morning and in the evening, especially during wintertime. On the other hand, consumption is lower during the night. The electric consumption varies as well with the seasons, and may be higher during winter—heating season—and summer—cooling season—than during spring and autumn. In certain countries, such as France, as a result of their large production share nuclear power plants are operated such that their load follows the power consumption. It is therefore difficult to have the power plant operating continuously at a load close to 100%.
Furthermore, a strong and fast modification in power consumption is difficult to accommodate, both at the level of the grid and at the level of the nuclear power plant.
WO2006/099573 describes a hydrocarbon fuel manufacturing plant with a nuclear power plant dedicated to feeding electricity only to the fuel manufacturing plant.
WO2008/115933 describes a renewable power source, such as a wind power source, dedicated to a hydrocarbon fuel manufacturing plant.
US2008/0040975 describes a facility for producing, from a carbonaceous material, fuel, electricity (gas turbine) and urea.
WO2008/033812 describes a facility for producing a hydrocarbon fuel from carbonaceous material (biomass) and hydrogen. The hydrogen is produced using electricity from a non carbon emitting dedicated source, such as wind power, solar power or nuclear power.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,917 describes a facility that can selectively maximize the production of power (gas turbine), hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide.